TERRATEC PRODUCER/AXON AIX 101/103 English Manual Version 1.0, status: October 05 CE Declaration We: TerraTec Electronic GmbH, Herrenpfad 38, D-41334 Nettetal, Germany hereby declare that the product: AXON AIX 101 and AXON AIX 103 to which this declaration refers is in compliance with the following standards or standardizing documents: EN 55013(2001)+A1(2003), EN 55020(2002). The following are the stipulated operating and environmental conditions for said compliance: residential, business and commercial environments and small-company environments. This declaration is based on: Test report(s) of the EMC testing laboratory The information in this document is subject to change without notice and shall not be deemed as a warranty by the seller. No warranties, express or implied, are made with regard to the quality, suitability or accuracy of this document. The manufacturer reserves the right to change the contents of this document and/or the associated products at any time without the provision of prior notice to specific persons or organizations. The manufacturer shall not be held liable for damages of any kind arising from the use, or the inability to use this product or its documentation, even if the possibility of such damage is known. The information in this document is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or for any purpose without the express written permission of the copyright holders. Product and brand names contained in this document are used for identification purposes only. All registered trademarks, product designations or brand names used in this document are the registered property of their respective owners. ©TerraTec® Electronic GmbH, 1994 - 2005. All rights reserved (10/28/2005). 2 AXON AIX 101/103 (English) Contents AXON AIX 101/103 Guitar/Bass Pickup ........................................................................... 4 Safety notes ....................................................................................................................... 5 Parts list ............................................................................................................................. 6 Connectors and controls.................................................................................................. 8 Installation ......................................................................................................................... 9 Installing the controller................................................................................................... 10 Determining the optimal location................................................................................ 10 Selecting the mounting method.................................................................................. 10 Mounting with screws and/or adhesive strips/pads.................................................... 11 Mounting with Velcro.................................................................................................. 12 Mounting with bracket ................................................................................................ 13 Mounting with suction cups ........................................................................................ 14 Installing the pickup ....................................................................................................... 14 Marking the optimal mounting position....................................................................... 15 Selecting the mounting method.................................................................................. 17 Mounting with adhesive strips .................................................................................... 17 Mounting with screws and springs ............................................................................. 20 Installation with mounting plates (AIX 103 only) ........................................................ 21 Getting ready to play....................................................................................................... 23 Technical data ................................................................................................................. 25 AXON AIX 101/103 (English) 3 AXON AIX 101/103 Guitar/Bass Pickup The AIX-101/103 is a high-performance guitar synthesizer pickup for use with the TerraTec AXON Guitar-To-MIDI Controller. Correctly installed and set up, it provides full MIDI capabilities to virtually any electric guitar or bass, or any steel-string acoustic guitar. The AXON AIX 101 is the pickup for six-string guitars, while AXON AIX 103 designates the pickup for bass guitars with up to 6 strings. The illustrations in the following instructions all show the AIX 101. The installation process for the AIX 103 bass pickup is identical, however. Please read these instructions with care and perform the steps in the order listed here to ensure trouble-free operation. 4 AXON AIX 101/103 (English) Safety notes Place of installation Protect the AIX 101/103 against the following influences to prevent distortion or discoloring of the housing or other serious damage: direct sunlight (e.g. near windows) high temperatures (near radiators, in direct sunlight or in closed vehicles during the daytime excessive humidity excessive dust sharp mechanical shocks. Connections Use only the 13-pin AXON AXK 100 cable (available separately) to connect the AIX 101/103 to the AXON. If you are using an electric guitar or bass, connect its pickups to the AIX 101/103 as well (see page 23), even if you do not need the conventional guitar sound. This connection is important for grounding the instrument to prevent noise and electric shock. Always grasp the plug, not the cable itself, when unplugging cables. Remove all cables before moving or transporting the instrument or any connected equipment. Handling and transport Do not use excessive force on the controls or when inserting or removing plugs. Dropping or bumping the instrument or placing heavy objects on it can result in scratches or other damage. Take care not to damage the AIX 101/103 when placing the instrument on a stand. Cleaning Use a soft, dry cloth to clean the instrument. Moisten the cloth slightly to remove stubborn dirt. Never use cleaning products such as alcohol or thinner. Customer service, maintenance and modifications The AIX-101/103 does not contain any user-serviceable parts. Opening the housing or other tampering may result in electrical shock or irreparable damage. Please refer all servicing work to TerraTec technicians. TerraTec cannot be held liable for damage resulting from installation and operation errors or improper use. AXON AIX 101/103 (English) 5 Parts list Please ensure that you have received all of the following parts before installing the pickup: AIX 101/103 controller with pickup guitar cable, 1/4" to 1/8" jack spacing gauge Mounting hardware for the AIX 101/103 pickup 2 button-head screws (3x25 mm) 2 springs double-sided adhesive strips, 4 ea. (AIX 101), 16 ea. (AIX 103) 1 pickup cushion (AIX 101) spacer A (1 mm) 5 ea. (AIX 101) 10 ea. (AIX 103) spacer B (0.3 mm) 10 ea. (AIX 101) 12 ea. (AIX 103) reusable adhesive pads, 2 ea. (AIX 101) 8 ea. (AIX 103) small screws, 3x6 mm with washers, 2 ea. (AIX 103) small screws, 3x6, 3x8 and 3x12 mm, 2 ea. (AIX 103) 6 AXON AIX 101/103 (English) countersunk screws, 3x10 mm, 2 ea. (AIX 103) mounting plates, 1 set (AIX 103) pickup holders, 1 set (AIX 103) 8 double-sided adhesive strips for mounting plates (AIX 103) Controller mounting hardware 1 button-head screw (3x16 mm) 3 double-sided adhesive strips (AIX 101) reusable adhesive pads 3 ea. (AIX 101) 6 ea. (AIX 103) 6 spacers (with double-sided adhesive, AIX 101) 1 Velcro set 1 bracket 3 suction cups AXON AIX 101/103 (English) 7 Connectors and controls 1. Pickup: this component converts the vibrations of the strings into an electrical signal that is processed by the AIX 101/103 and sent to the AXON. CAUTION: due to its extremely flat design, the pickup is delicate and can easily be damaged by strong pressure, bending or twisting. Please handle the pickup with great care. 2. Connector socket for the 13-pin cable (AXON AXK 100): this is the signal output of the AIX 101/103. Use the 13-pin cable to connect this socket to the INPUT socket on the AXON. The cable carries the signals of the individual strings from the AIX 101/103 pickup as well as the signal from the conventional instrument output. The cable also carries power for the AIX 101/103, as well as the control signals generated by the UP/DOWN buttons and the volume control on the AIX 101/103. 3. Guitar/bass input socket: the AIX101/103 receives the signal from the conventional pickups of the instrument via this socket. Use the short cable supplied with the AIX 101/103 to connect this socket to the 1/4" output socket of the instrument. 4. Operation LED: this LED indicates that the AIX 101/103 is receiving power from the AXON via the 13-pin cable. 8 AXON AIX 101/103 (English) 5. VOLUME: this knob controls the volume of the sound generators connected to the AXON (the AXON translates the control position into a master volume value and sends this value to the connected oscillators). To adjust the volume of the conventional guitar sound, use the controls on the guitar itself. 6. UP (higher) and DOWN (lower) buttons: use these buttons to select different sounds and other functions while playing. Press the buttons as required to step through the memory numbers of the AXON (and the corresponding voice numbers of the connected synthesizer). Press and hold the buttons to switch numbers without stopping. 7. GUITAR/MIX/SYNTH selector: this switch determines the signal to be sent to the AXON: GUITAR: the output contains only the signal from the conventional pickups (no MIDI) MIX: both the direct guitar signal and synthesizer signals (MIDI) are sent. SYNTH: only the synthesizer signals (MIDI) are sent, not the conventional guitar signal. Installation While mounting the AIX 101/103 on a guitar or bass is not difficult, it does require great care and a certain degree of manual skill. If you are not sure you have the necessary skills, we recommend leaving the installation work to someone who has experience in modifying and repairing guitars. Note: before installing the AIX 101/103, be sure that the neck and the string height/intonation (bridge) of the instrument are set correctly. Suitable guitars/basses The AIX 101/103 can be used with most electric guitars and basses as well as acoustic guitars with steel strings, with the following exceptions: As the AIX 101/103 is equipped with a magnetic pickup, it will not work with nylon or other nonmetallic strings. The AIX 101/103 is designed for 6-string guitars or 4/5/6-string basses. The system cannot work correctly with 12-string guitars or unconventional string configurations. The AIX 101/103 pickup must be fitted between the bridge and rear pickup of the guitar. Installation is not possible if there is not enough room between the bridge and rear pickup or the body and the strings. AXON AIX 101/103 (English) 9 Installing the controller Install the controller (interface) first ­ please ensure that the pickup is not damaged in the process. Determining the optimal location The controller (interface) should normally be installed behind the bridge. It should be within convenient reach, yet should not interfere with your playing or the controls of the instrument. Please observe the following points when determining a suitable mounting location: The controller should not be in your way when picking the strings. When installing the controller, ensure that it does not affect your playing style. The controller should not block the volume or tone controls of the instrument, or impede access to the bridge, especially the intonation screws that are adjusted from the back of the bridge. The mounting location must ensure that the length of the pickup cable and the connecting cable to the instrument are sufficient. Neither the controller nor the plug of the connecting cable should extend beyond the edge of the guitar body to reduce the risk of damage. When choosing the mounting location, ensure that the instrument can be placed on a stand with the controller attached. Choose the mounting location to ensure that the instrument will not be subjected to undue pressure while being transported in a bag or case with the AIX 101/103 attached. Selecting the mounting method Mounting with screws and/or adhesive strips/pads Permits the installation of the controller on a curved top in conjunction with adhesive strips Permits simple mounting and secure attachment. Requires a hole to be drilled in the body. Mounting with Velcro Permits the controller to be mounted and removed with ease. Mounting with bracket Permits the mounting of the controller on a curved ...